In the psychedelic 60s,
it was the era of the counter culture. Anything that
smacked of established morals and ethics was rebelled
against. The 60s was also the era where anti-heroes ruled
and superheroes were lampooned.

Batman hit the small screen in 1966. The
villains and the cars were permitted to be cool, but the
hero was not. The show became wildly popular and remains
to this day the ultimate example of "camp"
entertainment.

It's not surprising that
hot on the heels of Batman's enormous success, the
musical comedy "It's a bird It's a Plane It's
Superman" debuted on Broadway at the Alvin theater.

Jack Cassidy, playing the villain,
got top billing. Bob Holiday, playing Superman, actually
got last billing just above the scenery and costume
credits. Holy injustice!

In one number, Superman
lifted the grandstand with the aid of a backstage
forklift (left-hand photo). In another, actors stood in
cubicles where the set was designed to look like a comic
book page complete with several panels of action taking
place simultaneously (right-hand photo).

Easily the scariest
incarnation of Superman (unless Nicolas Cage finally
plays the part) was David Wilson's portrayal of the Man
of Steel in the television version of the musical.

Airing about a decade after the
Broadway version, the TV special might have prompted
Warner Brothers to produce the Chris Reeve movie simply
to sponge away the image of a Superman who looked a bit
like a deranged Ted Koppel.

A musical moment from "It's a
Bird It's a Plane It's Superman"possibilities